Folio from a Qur'an Manuscript

Unknown

ca. 1180 · Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper · Islamic Art

This folio from a Qur'an manuscript is written in "new style" script, which is noted for its elegant verticals. The folio exhibits two letters (alif and lam) that form distinctive pointed ovals, producing a graphic decorative quality.The elaborate arabesques in the background are light in color, allowing the script to stand out. The script and illumination are related to a Qur'an manuscript dated 573/1177–78, and to contemporaneous architectural inscriptions, suggesting a unity of style in Seljuq art of this period.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1180

Medium

Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

H.O. Havemeyer Collection, Gift of Horace Havemeyer, 1929